Epic Games Working On Next-Gen Unreal Engine 4 MMO

[Update: This is actually not Epic Games but a loose subsidiary and the game is not running on the Unreal Engine 4. More details and the full report is here.]

New info has surfaced indicating that Epic Games is currently hard at work on a next-generation MMO. Based on the information the project has been underway for about half a year and will supposedly embrace the next-gen antics that come along with the Unreal Engine 4.

The news comes courtesy of Nixel Pixel, who did the superb job of picking up the job sheets for two employees of Epic Games China, Alex Chi and Alan Xu, from their LinkedIn profiles. Being the savvy armchair warriors that they are, Nixel Pixel didn't want to rely on the LinkedIn links for proof and instead provided readers with links to prove that Epic is indeed working on a next-gen MMO with images right here and right here.

Now if this were 2007 or 2008, we would instantly fall into the trap of believing that the upcoming game has to either be a third-person shooter or a first-person shooter. However, Epic's Unreal Engine has come a very long way since the days of Gears of War. With games like Blade & Soul on the horizon and Epic recently unveiling the Unreal Engine 4, it's anyone's guess exactly what kind of MMO they have planned. Could it be sci-fi? Medieval-fantasy? An MMO fighting game perhaps? Maybe a vehicular-type game? Who knows.

We'll soon find out and I'm betting it will either be at next year's E3 or the year after. With only a few months into the development cycle it's doubtful Epic will be showing off the new game anytime this year.